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NM teacher suggested El Paso baseball team's nickname

NM man behind Chihuahuas new moniker

By Lindsey Anderson

landerson@lcsun-news.com @l_m_anderson on Twitter

Posted:
10/26/2013 07:15:50 PM MDT

Santa Teresa High School junior Britani Gonzales, 17, gives a congratulatory hug to math teacher Shae Vierra on Thursday in the hallway of the school. Vierra entered the El Paso Triple-A Name the Team contest and his suggestion, the El Paso Chihuahuas, was selected from more than 5,000 entries as the official name for the baseball team. "I think that's really cool that he won," Gonzales said. (Shari V. Hill/Sun-News)

The Santa Teresa High School football coach shut down his Facebook account after the slew of strangers' messages poured in, some copying photos of him and his family and posting them elsewhere online. Some messages are low-level insults, calling him an embarrassment to the region; others encourage much more violent actions.

All because Vierra, a geometry teacher, suggested the incoming El Paso Triple A baseball team be nicknamed the Chihuahuas. And his name won.

"I thought it was a good name because it's bicultural and we live in the Chihuahuan Desert," he said. "And I have three kids. I thought they'd like the name."

The El Paso Chihuahuas, which is the new official team name for the Triple-A baseball team, was selected after officials opened up a public voting contest that Santa Teresa math teacher Shae Vierra entered and won. Vierra will have the honor of throwing out the first pitch during the first home game of the season, he said. (Courtesy photo)

Vierra scrolls through screenshot after screenshot of hate mail, reading the hateful messages with a laugh.

"I'm the head coach of a 1-6 football team, so I know what criticism's like," he said.

Chihuahua wasn't even Vierra's top choice of the three names he submitted: Chihuahuas, Smokestacks for the Asarco towers, and Oryx, his favorite.

More than 5,000 names were submitted to the Name the Team contest.

But the tiny, scrappy dogs won out.

Moniker madness

Minor league baseball is no stranger to unique and sometimes downright bizarre names.

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There's the Albuquerque Isotopes for one, originating from an episode of "The Simpsons." Then there's the Nashville Sounds and the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, not to mention the not-so-awe-inspiring oddities in Double A baseball, from the Montgomery Biscuits to the Richmond Flying Squirrels.

The El Paso mascot -- a snarling dog with a spiked collar -- has gained the attention of ESPN, blogs and social media.

More than 8,700 people have already signed a petition to change the team's name, saying it is "stereotypical," "embarrassing" and will make El Paso "the laughingstock."

'Part of the team'

Vierra's three kids -- Andre, 12; Eric, 10; and Nicholas, 6 -- however, brought Chihuahuas gear to school Thursday and already want more team hats and shirts, Vierra says.

He, his wife, Brenda, and their three boys live in Santa Teresa. But the El Paso native grew up going to baseball games with his dad, a passion that led him to submit the name ideas.

"I'm just really happy that El Paso's getting affiliated baseball," he says. "I just wanted to be part of the new team."

He didn't expect the team managers and president to select his suggestion, thinking Desert Gators would be the winner.

Vierra earned two season tickets for his winning name and will throw the first pitch at the first game this spring.

"I've always kind of dreamed about doing something like that, but I'm nervous about not getting it to the pitcher," he says.

'Small and fierce'

Luke Perea, 17, didn't like his teacher's name suggestion at first.

"It started growing on me because I read an article on it that said Chihuahuas are loyal and brave but small, like me," he said outside Vierra's classroom. "I like that they're small and fierce."